524 CONFERENCE OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 



to arguments in favour of decinud coinage, the first was the 

 advantage in regard to intern.ational trade. If one put oneself 

 in the position of a customer who was used to decimal coinage 

 and di(l not know ]>ounds, shillings, and ])ence, one would realise 

 that an English trader who otfered his goods in terms of ]>ounds. 

 shillings and pence was handicapping himself unnecessarily. 

 The second point is with regard to mercantile convenience : it 

 takes much less time to do commercial arithmetic in the decimal 

 system than under the British system, and the ])ercentage of mis- 

 takes is smaller. For example, in working out the price of so 

 many tons, hundredweights, quarters and pounds at .so many 

 pounds, shillings and pence per ton, probably a quarter of an 

 hour is. the time required; whereas a similar problem could be 

 done in the Metric System in a few seconds. Professor Leh- 

 feldt spoke in favour of the decimal system of coinage as out- 

 lined in the draft bill proposed by the London Chamber of Com- 

 merce, which retained the pound sterling and made the florin the 

 monetary unit, the florin being divided into one hundred cents. 



The motion was seconded by Mr. H. C. Jorissen, President 

 of the Institute of Bankers, who said that the Bankers' Institute 

 was certainly heart and soul in favour of the adoption of a deci- 

 mal coinage. In 191 3, the President of the Bankers' Institute, 

 in his inaugural address, touched very largely on the question 

 of the introduction of the Metric System and a decimal coinage. 

 He said; " I am aware that ior a young country as South Africa 

 to adopt a basis of token coinage that differs from that of any 

 other country may appear at first sight a very bold step, and I 

 would like to see the currency in England and all the Colonies 

 on a decimal basis. Still, reforms in the past have invariably 

 been effected gradually, and there is no reason why South Africa 

 should not take the first ste]) towards the establishing of an 

 Im]>erial Decimal Coinage. The difficulties would, at present, 

 in this country, be ciuite small, and. the adoption of the .system 

 in a young and growing country, such as South Africa, would 

 be w^ell repaid. I feel ctMivinced that it i? only a question of 

 time when (zreat Britain and those of her Colonies, which have 

 not already taken the step I indicate, will have to adopt the 

 decimal system in order to stop the present wastage of time. I 

 admit that the chan<>-e would mean a temporary inconvenience, 

 but if it also means permanent gc^od, then let us use what in- 

 fluence we may have in the hoi)e that the change may be made 

 scon and in our generation." 



After .some debate on the merits of the decimal coinage 

 scheme, as proposed by the Lon(k)n Chamber of Commerce, the 

 resolution, asking the Union Government to co-oi)erate with the 

 Home Government and those of the other self-governing 

 Dominions, was carried unanimously. 



Mr. E. Chappel, Past-President and \'ice-President of the 

 Association of Chambers of Commerce oi South Africa, pro- 

 ])osed Resolution 3; 



I 



